Recycling
Changes Coming to Town Centre Recycling Depot
The Town Centre recycling depot's last day of operations is Sunday, February 1, 2026 to make way for upgrades coming to Town Centre Park including relocation and expansion of tennis courts, an expanded festival lawn and an energy-efficient support building. Details on these exciting improvements are on our Town Centre Park Upgrades webpage.
Curbside Recycling
Curbside recycling is not funded by municipal taxes or utility fees; it is a service provided at no cost to residents by Recycle BC, a non-profit organization funded by the businesses that supply packaging and paper to residents in British Columbia.
Recycle BC contracts GFL Environmental to collect residents' curbside recycling from single-family homes and select multi-family homes in Coquitlam. For more information, visit the Recycle BC website, contact Recycle BC by email, or call 778-588-9504. If your curbside recycling was not collected, or if you require new or additional recycling boxes and/or bags, please contact GFL Environmental directly by email or call 604-529-4011.
Recycling Options
The City has a variety of recycling options that include depots and City programs. Click on the tabs below for details on each location or option, or use the Waste Wizard search tool above. You can also visit the Recycling Council of B.C. website and use their Recyclepedia search. Thank you for helping us work towards our waste management long-term goal to maximize reuse, recycling and material recovery as outlined in the City's Environmental Sustainability Plan.
Located at 995 United Boulevard, this one-stop facility operated by Metro Vancouver and supported financially via resident and business taxes, accepts a wide range of recycling, food scraps, yard trimmings and more at no cost to Coquitlam residents. This full-service facility provides residents the most recycling options including flexible plastic packaging, plastic bags, beverage containers, cardboard, books, textiles, batteries, expanded polystyrene, light fixtures, cooking oil, paint products, pesticides and gasoline, propane tanks and electronics. It also accepts free food scraps and green waste from Coquitlam residents with proof of residency. Fees apply only for garbage drop off.
Encorp Pacific (Canada) is a federally incorporated, not-for-profit, product stewardship corporation with beverage container management as their core business. Their mandate is to develop, manage and improve systems to recover used packaging and end-of-life products from consumers and ensure that they are properly recycled and not land-filled or incinerated. Within the Tri-Cities area, there are four Return-it Depots (details below) and several other Recycling Facilities options listed in this document.
- Coquitlam Return-it Depot, 104 - 2560 Barnet Highway
- Lougheed Return-it Depot, 1045A Lougheed Highway
- North Road Return-it Depot, Unit W - 435 North Road
- PoCo Return-it Depot, 2577 Kingsway Avenue
Twice a year, spring and fall, the City hosts its City-Wide Garage Sale and Giveaway Event. These events are a great opportunity to contribute to environmental sustainability and community waste-reduction efforts. Treasure-seekers find sought-after bargains while residents keep items that need a new home out of the landfill. Great way to recycle!
If you have items in good condition to donate, use the Coquitlam Guide to Donating Locally, which we update twice a year, that lists charitable organizations that would be happy to hear from you.
Do you have furniture or other large household items you no longer want and that can’t be donated? Residents who receive the City’s curbside collection service can have up to four large household items collected each year (July 1 to June 30). Visit our Large Item Pick-up webpage to complete an online registration form and for more information.
Coquitlam hosts four Repair Café events each year where residents can bring broken items to be fixed for free by volunteers who are handy and who like tinkering/fixing things. Since launching the Repair Café, Coquitlam has welcomed more than 700 participants, with 830 items brought in and 488 successfully repaired—a repair rate of 56%. Maybe you don't want to throw that item away, you just need it repaired?